Currently my hearth is 4x4 red clay tiles inset into the wood floor & the inner brick surround is painted blue ( as it was built in 1945).
As part of an extensive renovation I'd like to replace the clay tiles on the hearth and cover the brick with a thin stone or stone look material. I love the look of granite, soapstone, marble etc but they're all too thick. I don't want small tiles with a lot of grout. Whatever we choose has to withstand soot as we make a lot of fires. Any suggestions??